In ETEC565a Assignment 4, we were tasked with creating a complex digital story with a narrative element, using a cloud tool, that was educational/pedagogical in nature, yet without being a digital lesson or lecture. While there were multiple specific requirements to the task, it was also a very flexible assignment and responsive to the MET cohort’s individual interests and educational contexts.
My engagement with this assignment was framed by Levine’s (2010) 1-2-3 digital storytelling process of outline, media search, and tool choice. I first approached the assignment by asking, “What makes a digital story educational?” Because of my contextual interest in military and defence educational settings, I drew pedagogical support largely from this realm. As it turns out, there is a large body of literature related to storytelling in military settings, in which the tradition of storytelling has deep roots; as well as for leadership development and adult learning in general (Caminotti & Gray, 2012; Cianciolo, Prevou, Cianciolo & Morris, 2007; Shamir & Eilam, 2005).
To conform with the theme of my ETEC565a Moodle course, this digital story intended for a learner group of prospective interns. Titled Growing Pains, the pedagogical goal is to open discussion on perspectives and methods to navigate difficult situations. The story is intended to draw out tacit knowledge related to problem-solving in professional settings, and model a leadership and mentorship opportunity that each intern would have at the culmination of their placement. To support these pedagogic goals, the story would be delivered with an accompanying discussion forum and trigger questions, as outlined by Cianciolo et al. (2007). The story has been written with enough room for interpretation that I would expect a variety of perspectives and debate about interpersonal differences and possible solutions and strategies.
Story Writing Process
Cianciolo, Prevou, Cianciolo and Morris (2007) have explored storytelling in military professional settings, providing a rationale for use and a list of lessons-learned and best practices. In their recommendations, the authors state that relevance and controversy are two essential elements of educational stories in this setting, and that high levels of feedback between the two elements is critical to effectively stimulate discussion and draw out the tacit knowledge of audiences.
In order to focus on learning points, story elements must be accurately portrayed, and as such it is important for story authors external to the intended learner-group context to consult subject-matter experts. In my effort to make an authentic, relevant and potentially controversial portrayal of an intern’s experience and behaviour; I consulted literature related to successful internship experiences including two internship handbooks (Bellevue College, n.d.; Brigham Young University, 2013) and an online article about unexpected internship challenges (Loretto, 2014). In turn, the narrator of Growing Pains experiences some of the pitfalls identified by these sources while providing some supportive advice for future interns.
Media Search
After outlining a relevant storyline, I began to search for illustrative media. The pedagogic decision to use an slideshow video format was based on best-practices suggestions from Cianciolo et al. (2007), who suggest this format as appropriate for stories that take place over time and that are not predominantly focused on interpersonal exchange. Still images for this story were acquired from stock.xching, the usage restrictions of which state:
You may use the Image
- In digital format on websites, multimedia presentations, broadcast film and video, cell phones.
One stock image from stock.xching used in my story had additional restrictions: 3d maze 2 by user svilen001, who upon contact asked me to include a clickable link on my blog to his website, http://www.efffective.com.
Tool Choice
After sourcing the digital media, I tested four online software-as-service video editing tools, experimenting with OneTrueMedia, Empressr, and WeVideo; before finally settling on Creaza. I found the Creaza Video Editor to be the most responsive and intuitive of the four, allowing an impressive range of manipulation of digital media, and the straightforward ability to compile and layer multiple media artifacts.
The Creaza Video Editor interface. (Click to Enlarge)
The video editor is a flash-based tool that allows for fine-tuned manipulation of media layers via a drag-and-drop interface. In addition to any user-generated or uploaded media, the suite comes equipped with a library of stock elements. The animated videoclips included in my digital story come from within the Creaza library, enriching the experience beyond a slideshow of static images. Because the audio tool only allows recordings up to thirty seconds, the Apple iOS 7.1 app “Voice Memos” was used to record the narration, which was then uploaded as a music track.
Creaza as a Pedagogical Tool
Creaza is a powerful and comprehensive digital storytelling suite, with mediums including video, audio, comic creation and mindmapping; and a variety of themes or “thematic universes” for each medium. The free account version of Creaza is fully functional, but with limited access to thematic universes. Each storytelling tool is fully cross-platform within the Creaza suite; that is to say, audio stories can be ported into the video editor, comic strips can be imported into the mindmapping tool, and so on.
Creaza has built-in options for pedagogical purpose. Projects may be assigned in each of the mediums, and emailed to students. In addition to the ability for students to upload their own media, or choose from the media library, instructors may include assigned media files. Students can not delete assigned projects prior to completion, and can collaborate with other students through emailed invitations. Projects may be edited up until the point when the student chooses to “hand in” the assignment, at which point the instructor may assess and “approve” the work.
I experienced some difficulties with some functionalities in Creaza, which Levine (2011) identifies as common occurrence when using free software. However, the Creaza technical support team was incredibly helpful and quick to respond to my inquiries. In addition, the technical support team provided access to a fully-functional account with all thematic “universes” to experiment with.
References:
Bellevue College, n.d. Academic internship program handbook. Bellevue, Washington: Bellevue College, Retrieved March 15, 2014, fromhttp://www.bellevuecollege.edu/internships/doc/BC%20Internship%20Program%20-%20Handbook.pdf
Brigham Young University, 2013. Internship guidelines. Department of Communications, Brigham Young University. Retrieved March 15, 2014, from http://cfac.byu.edu/comms/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/COM-2013-03-13-09-Department-of-Communications-Internship-Guidelines.pdf
Caminotti, E., & Gray, J. (2012). The effectiveness of storytelling on adult learning. Journal of Workplace Learning,24(6), 430-438. Retrieved March 18, 2014, from http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/1366562121125
Cianciolo, A.T., Prevou, M., Cianciolo, D., Morris, R. (2007). Using digital storytelling to stimulate discussion in Army professional forums. Paper presented at the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation, and Education Conference (I/ITSEC). National Defense Industrial Association. (pp. 1-12). Retrieved online, March 04, 2014, from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.113.3853&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Levine, A. (2010). “50+ Ways Home.” Retrieved online, March 14, 2014, from http://50ways.wikispaces.com/
Levine, A. (2011). [Video Document] 50 Web 2.0 Ways to Tell a Story. Retrieved March 10, 2014, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDYJAZiskRw
Loretto, P. (2014). How to Face Internship Challenges – What if Your Internship is Not What You Expected? Retrieved March 15, 2014 fromhttp://internships.about.com/od/internshiptip1/a/internshipchallenges.htm
Shamir, B., & Eilam, G. (2005). “What’s your story?” A life-stories approach to authentic leadership development. The Leadership Quarterly, 16(3), 395-417. Retrieved March 19, 2014, from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2005.03.005
